Monumental More Than 2 Foot Long Tridacna Gigas Giant Half Clamshell. 

Size: 25 1/2 x 15 1/2 x 7 1/2 In. 

Tridacna is a genus of large saltwater clams, marine bivalve molluscs in the subfamily Tridacninae (the giant clams), with heavy fluted shells and often brightly colored mantles that inhabit shallow waters of coral reefs in warm seas of the Indo-Pacific region. Tridacna clams can produce enormous white pearls with an undulating, porcelain-like surface, which may be described as “non-nacreous pearls,” and their uniqueness and incredible size (with the largest ever discovered weighing over 14 pounds) has helped develop a sustaining farming industry in the Philippines to counteract the near extinction they faced starting in the 1980s. Although some species are eaten by humans, all of the species in the genus Tridacna are protected under the Convention on International Trade of Endangered Species, because their immense popularity in marine aquaria and as collectibles led to them becoming endangered due to extensive harvesting. Over a hundred examples of carved Tridacna shells with animal, human, and floral motifs have been found in archaeological expeditions from Italy to the Near East, probably produced as early as the mid 7th Century, made or distributed from the southern coast of Phoenicia. Today many artisans carve pieces for similar use and collectors pay heavy sums for larger pieces, either in half or complete, although they are much rarer than they once were as the process of revitalizing the species will be a long and difficult one. 

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